ELY
by Jakazul's Lil Sis
Summary: All ELY, a misfortuned stepdaughter, ever wanted was a life of thrill and adventure... until a bat's shadow rained over her with an offering. (I promise There IS a plot besides just me..!)
1. A girl's Life

DiScLaImEr: I DO NO OWN BATMAN BEYOND, TEEN TITANS OR ANY OTHER HEROES... *breathes fast and turns red* *eyes twinkle and regains angel-like look* For when I do I'll assure you and will make MORE eps for both shows. ^_^ *keep dreaming*  
  
***Rated PG for some mild language****   
  
] [This is a fic based on real characters in my life.. 'ELY' is me.. sorta...(I'm not a stepdaughter and I'm not 17 and don't own the cool stuff she does, grrr) and Cat.. WAY TO GO CAT! OH,YAH! I'd also like to mention that Terry's behavior is based on one o' my best friends..*applauds* ROCK ON, JAKE... This fic is dedicated to Jake(PenName: Jakazul), myself and friends..] [ Okay go on and read....  
  
~ ~CHAP 1~ ~  
  
Ely strapped on her helmet and smiled lightly, looking at herself in the mirror and smiled. She wore SEMI-baggy black jeans that went rather low from her waist, a baby blue blouse that had sleeves reaching 4 inches above her wrists and showed most off her stomach and black boots under her jeans. Her brown hair was in a ponytail, showing under the back of her helmet and she wore a cyan necklace. She rushed through the kitchen, messing her sister, Natalie's, hair. Nat winced and growled loudly as she power walked away and grabbed her buttered toast off the breakfast table.   
  
"Bye, Hilda." she shouted as her 40 year old, but decrepit and withering light skinned/ dark-haired step-mother merely raised an eyebrow and spared but not even a simple passing glance at the girl from her newspaper and coffee.  
  
Natalie stared at her and looked at the kitchen clock.. then hearing a loud whir and zooming of the hovering school bus downstairs and outside the apartment, got her backpack and folder and headed out the door, shouting like her sister.  
  
"Later, Hilda."  
  
Hilda scowled deeply, rolling her eyes and removing a large mass of hair of the already very few she had off her right eye.  
  
Ely smiled and waited as Natalie boarded the bus and left. She took out her laser-lock pad and opened her apartment's personal automated garage door and walked her most beloved treasure-item out the garage and the sun revealing it's shining black and silver paint-job... Her 2039 XL Harley. Her father had sent for it to be ordered personally to her home on her previous birthday which had occurred a month ago, much to Hilda's dismay.  
  
Her father was an all-time travelling businessman and hardly got to visit his daughters.   
  
She smiled at his memories and patting her motorcycle, sat on it and started the engine.   
  
She closed the garage door and grinned, driving swiftly to school.  
  
She drove up the lane and parked in the student's parking, locking it securely and setting down the thing supporting it up.  
  
Some guys complimented her ride, but she ignored them. Cat calls and long whistles were directed toward her but she acted like herself and walked past them, smiling.  
  
She ran quickly up the stairs and into the halls and straight to her locker, she removed her helmet and stored it in, taking out her history book, comp disc, laptop and note diary... Hardly did she use her note diary for jotting down important facts.. Screw that. She used it for jotting down IMPORTANT facts.. or just doodling..  
  
She slammed her locker shut and put some things in her backpack and walked off.  
  
She walked down the hall slowly with her backpack hanging off her left shoulder. Blade Sommer walked past her and threw her a look of daring envy. Ely raised an eyebrow and turned at the corner to meet the morning and all-time friendly face of her best friend Caitlynne. She was grinning widely, with her 'LEARNING TOOLS' in arm and giddying madly.   
  
"So how was the ride?" she asked quickly and with a hint of ecstacy.  
  
"SWEET as always, Cat."  
  
She couldn't help but squeal. "Cuz I heard Alex Ruiz shot a long glance at your bike-"  
  
"NOT a bike." Ely interrupted in a pushy tone.  
  
Cat blinked and resumed like nothing.  
  
"Well he saw you riding and some of his fan club were giving YOU stares of envy."  
  
Ely blinked and threw her hands up."OH! So now I have to celebrate for having the biggest female population in school hating me?" Ely said slightly aggravated.  
  
Cat frowned. "You're MISSING the basic point, Ely."   
  
"I don't like winning guy's hearts by the stuff I own, Cat. He's YOUR love interest."  
  
Cat paused and had a somewhat discovered look in her eyes.   
  
"He is not." Cat muttered.   
  
Ely laughed and started walking towards 1st period, Cat following.  
  
Cat sighed and they entered the room. They sat, Cat in the second-to-last aisle and Ely in the aisle in front of it. Cat sat right behind Ely and opened her laptop, not leaving the subject.  
  
"Maybe since he's already got your attention, he'll come to you and-"  
  
"If that even happens I'll introduce him to you." said Ely with a tone of hopeful finality.  
  
Cat looked pleased and dropped the subject for later.  
  
Terry walked in, miraculously, 10 seconds before the bell, looking slagged as could be. Max smirked, barely raising her look from her laptop. He yawned and sat next to her, putting his head down on his closed laptop. Max's smirk began to faint and her eyes shifted momentarily onto Terry.   
  
"So how'd it go?"  
  
Terry's words came somehow moaned and muffled as his face still met his unopened laptop. "Jokerz won't give mayhem's night a rest." he said massaging his head from a pain that was taking over.   
  
"Dana called and said she wanted to speak with you in lunch. Case sounds, severe McGinnis." Max said sadly, while typing.  
  
Terry's head lifted slightly and he slammed it back down again, harder than at first.  
  
At lunch, Cat sat next to Ely and had her unspotted eyes on Alex and was prepping a plan on how to meet him without too much obviousness.  
  
Terry, meanwhile, exited the cafeteria without food and headed outside to the bleachers and spotted as Chelsea and Blade left in the other direction, whispering to each other and frowning.  
  
Terry smiled at Dana and she crossed her arms, her face deep with loathing.  
  
"Dane, I-" Terry began but Dana spoke as if he hadn't.  
  
"I've had all I can take, Terry." she said softly, closing her eyes and looking in the opposite direction.  
  
Terry paused, looking hurt. "What-"  
  
"Every night you sell yourself to Bruce Wayne, not me. Forget me. I'll be fine on my own, deserted at every date planned and promised." Dana still didn't turn to look at Terry.  
  
"And every night you're off doing only God cares what, I'm off looking like an idiot and acting like one. 'He'll be here. I know he will' " she scoffed and her voice rose slightly with every phrase. "But I'm ALWAYS wrong. I'm ALWAYS PATIENT. I'M ALWAYS FAITHFUL. I'M ALWAYS TRUSTING YOU. I'M ALWAYS ON THE CALM SIDE OF THINGS!" she shuouted, now staring angrily at Terry.  
  
"Every day I give an equal part of my share.. always believing you and your hideous lies-"  
  
"Dana I have never-!" Terry cut in but Dana fought back.  
  
"And every day I'm never given back anything for my part."  
  
"Well you have to understand I'm always busy!" Terry's voice rose a little.  
  
"AND THAT'S WHY IIII'LL BE BUSY FROM NOW ON- WITHOUT YOU. If you don't have enough time settled for me... then neither do I." she stomped her foot down and bgan to walk off, boldly.  
  
"DANA it's not that I don't wanna manage time for you. I've been working my butt off every day to keep my family together and all you do is complain about how I let YOU down instead of my family." Terry said in a low and aggravated voice.  
  
Dana scowled back with the upmost loathing.  
  
"So you agree that what it takes to being a couple is to never settle time for each other or to see each other????" she asked loudly and Terry scowled. "WELL I DON'T AGREE TO YOUR THEORY, McGINNIS." she stomped off again, leaving Terry behind, not reacting or running after her. He jabbed his fists in his pockets, shook his head and stormed off the food court.   
  
Ely took slow bites out of her sandwhich and sipped her chocolate milkshake with a look of oblivion at her eyes, she looked as Terry stormed off, staring down at the ground as he walked..  
  
She swallowed her previous bite and paused, holding her sandwhich in mid air by her chin. A thought aproached her from last night.  
  
~She had been driving on her motorcycle down a dark but free lane. She was enjoying every wind-reaking moment of it and jumped off several ramps. But when she drove up a cliff she looked up at the amazing night sky above and looked down to find whirlpools of black reaching up the cliff and releasing angered forceful winds. She was trapped in the black winds and her motorcycle and the landscape disappeared. She was trapped and desperately wanted her way out. Images of her father and sister shot before her eyes... and a sudden rush of fear and desperate wants for freedom and to find something took her over. She screamed but it merely echoed and faded and she fell onto the ground... lonely. She ran in every direction looking for her family but was lost...... until she kneeled in the vast landscape.... only hers and an unknown shadow lingered on the ground and she nor feared it, nor questioned it.~  
  
But she did now. Who WAS that shadow? What had her crazy dream meant? And this wasn't the only odd dream she'd had... it was like the 6th question mark in a row. But by far, every dream revealed a new piece to her puzzle. She dreamt the same thing every night.. but every night it was elongated. So far, her new clue was the shadow next to hers. She thought deeply of her confusion and felt a sparking headache. Cat interrupted and her mind swept back to focus.  
  
"ELY?! There's a fly on your sandwhich!"  
  
Ely hardly took much care into the zooming fly on her food. "Oh.."  
  
"What's up with YOU?" asked Cat, curiously.  
  
Ely threw her sandwhich in the nearby trash can and got up along with Cat. She sipped her milkshake, since she wasn't hungry anyway.  
  
"Just.. thinking."  
  
"About..?"  
  
"What I dreamt last night."  
  
Both girls paused.  
  
Cat held on to her backpack straps and wore a newly concerned face.  
  
"Ely..."  
  
Ely sighed.  
  
"You really oughta watch out and be careful lately.. riding on the motorbike or something." Ely shot a quick look about her saying MOTORBIKE. Cat continued. "It could be giving you a warning,,, or.. be a PREMONITION!" Ely thought.   
  
"Maybe.."  
  
"All I'm saying is be extremely careful and take your dream's advice to consideration."  
  
"But this time I dreamt that a shadow was standing next to me." Cat lifted an eyebrow and listened avidly. "Maybe I'll meet someone who will reak havoc in my life or help me in some way..." Cat's eyes lit up. "You mean, Alex?!"  
  
Ely smirked and both of them laughed.  
  
Terry leaned on a wall and watched as Ely and Cat passed by, laughing. Max was standing next to him.  
  
"I can't believe it came to this." Terry said with an actual put-down tone.   
  
"It was clearly bound to happen either way, Ter..." she looked at him. "I'm SO sorry." she looked at his eys with a hint of regret and remorse in her own.   
  
Terry lifted one corner of his mouth up in a fake smile and exhaled some of his bad burdens off, blowing off his brilliant black locks of hair from his eyes.   
  
The bell rang.  
  
Max tried to smile at Terry and patted his shoulder. "I'll.. see you in 6th." and rushed off to 5th.  
  
"I'll see you in 6th." said Ely as Cat departed in the opposite direction, yards behind Terry, on their way to GYM.  
  
Both Terry and Ely exited the locker rooms in unison and headed out the field. They ran few laps of torture and played multiple sports. Terry was assigned soccer while Ely was reluctantly headed for the basketball court. She hated basketball, it wasn't her type of sport.. Terry on the other hand wouldn't care less about which sport it was.. unless he got a break for once. He had recovered some sleep during geometry and part of physics, yet he wasn't all himself. He considered taking up goalie to just stand there... but he was sent to midfield, much to his dismay.   
  
The coach blew the whistle and the soccer game started, followed by the whistle at basketball.  
  
Ely groaned and ran down the court, as far from the present dribbler as possible. Then SHE was passed the ball and she only ran about two yards before bounce-passing it to another guy. She paused and realized it was Alex. He grinned and Ely spotted a hint of twinkling in his eyes. She stood there as she saw him score the first points. Her team cheered and she stood hesitant.   
  
She waited as 2 of the opponents started the next round of running and blahness... and spotted her favorite field in GYM so far after all these years. She smirked.  
  
"THAT'S what I'm talking about.." she muttered under her breath, wistfully.  
  
Terry still stood, running softly. Harold Jordan kicked the ball to him and he ran with it.. He kicked it with as much effort as he could and passed it to a very grossed out cheerleader. She squeaked and complained about playing in the mud and kicked it carelessly, but rather hard and angrily, off the field and past the football section, toward the basketball courts. Terry and the others scowled. Some of her other teammates started yelling back her complaints and arguing about how girls are so narrow minded and guys are bone headed dregs.  
  
Terry shrugged to himself and ran after the runaway soccer ball.  
  
Ely smirked. ' Time for some action,' she thought and ran off her court and paused the flying soccer ball in mid air while lifting her knee. The ball fell to her side and she steadied it and lifted her right leg behind her and kicked at it with all her might. She missed.  
  
The few other people staring laughed and jeered her way. Terry paused, a few yards away and scowled.  
  
Ely's eyes narrowd in anger and shame. She hated missing her hard kicks.  
  
Then a sharp pain struck her in the head and she grimaced, shouting.  
  
She brought her hand up to her head and part of her forehead. "OW.."  
  
She turned and saw as her teammates howled in laughter and Alex grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Sorry, babe."  
  
Ely scowled deeper and reached for the basketball which fell near the soccer ball and tossed it hard at Alex's head..  
  
He caught it grandly and frowned. "HEY. I AM sorry." he turned and resumed the game.  
  
The coach blew her whistle directly at Ely.  
  
"Let's get going, Gonzalez!" she clapped and Ely mumbled ugly thoughts under her breath. The coach left to whistle on another game which ended up in extreme flirtation.  
  
She massaged her head and turned back as Terry walked toward her.  
  
"You okay?" he asked before thinking.  
  
Ely nodded and kicked the soccer ball the few yards between the two of them and turned back to her hated game.  
  
Terry shouted. "THANKS." Ely turned a bit and nodded, smiling faintly. Terry ran back to his game.  
  
He felt a bit relieved.. At least his exhaustion hadn't been more by a slamming basketball at his head.   
  
'At least I didn't get dumped and ran across the field like a... moron..' thought Ely and groaned, waiting for the rest of the day to be over and knowing her side of the story was still as embarassing as Terry's.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Please review!! And sure.. feel free to flame me... -_- 


	2. Hilda the Horrible

HEY ARCH! HOWYA DOING! Long time no chat. Of courze I haven't forgotten you. Jake and I thought you had actually quit... :/ GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Thanx for reviewing! *looks with begging eyes to her readers* Read and review.. for my sake.   
  
DiScLaImEr: I DO NOT OWN BB. SAME GOES FOR THE OTHER CHARACTERS (cept me) AND SONGS.  
  
~Chapter 2~ Hilda the Horrible  
Ely typed swiftly on her laptop and sat, leaning on the rising bleachers of the game stands on the fields and sitting on the next row, under it. She bopped her head lightly and sang to the music on her headphones softly; much to Cat's preference of listening to her own music, but nevertheless, listening anyway.   
  
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright, alright...  
Shake it like a polaroid picture!  
  
Ely continued..Cat looked away from all the being-said "SHAKE IT's" and drew in her breath.  
Cat poked Ely and pointed at a boy who jogged their way. Ely raised an eyebrow and laughed while singing.  
Alex continued running laps around the track.   
Cat grinned oddly.  
Alex passed a short, quick glance at both girls and shook his head, staring ahead and ran away from them. Cat squealed as he reached a certain distance and sighed, lovingly. Ely shook her head, grinning teasingly. She unplugged the blaring headphones and out came the song from her laptop's Music Player.  
  
I'm addicted to you  
Don't you know that you're toxic?  
And I love what you do  
Don't you know that you're toxic?   
  
Cat bopped at Ely with her notebook. "Why are you playing that song???" Ely plugged the headphones to her laptop's side and blushed.  
"I.. downloa- I.. that song was-... Forget about it, okay?" she said and resumed singing again.  
  
Say it aint so  
I will not go,  
Turn the lights off  
Carry me home.  
Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na. Na na na na.  
****  
Natalie's eyes peered as the rest of her body was behind the couch. She snickered with every wince her sister made. Behind her blared a tv screen of old reruns of the past-time cartoon: TEEN TITANS. The episode was 'Fear Itself'  
Hilda's anger pierced in her facial expressions and through her shouting.   
"ELISELDA!"  
"Hilda, is it that much trouble to-"  
"You'll BET your measly body is in trouble. Where WERE you all this time???" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground as Ely sighed.  
"I went with Cat and some of her friends to Cheezy Dan's. We managed to do some homework-"  
"HOMEWORK?? *scoffs* Oh yah. I'll believe you did homework. Being the RESPONSIBLE student you are."  
"You're saying I'm not?" said Ely, sarcastically hurt.  
"It shows off brightly what a wise child you are." Hilda said in a hating-sarcastic voice.  
"Well it's not like I get average-low grades!"  
"DON'T SHOUT AT ME ELISELDA BEA-"  
"Don't call me that, please." Ely said softly and Hilda's eyes looked as if she would choke her.  
"Castigo de 3 semanas..." she said calmly, but monotonously. Ely's mouth dropped.  
"WHAT-????!"  
Hilda pointed her bony, wrinkled finger at her room and smiled darkly.  
"You heard me. It might provide the time you need to think about why you're spending time in solitary." she said coldly and Ely walked quickly to her room, closing the door as slowly as she could, behind her.  
****  
The batmobile burst through the calm air over the city and landed atop a 40 floor building's roof. Out swooped Batman whom had engaged the vehicle's cameo-mode. He ran slowly across the roof and leaped to the neighboring building. He ran again and kicked opened the door leading to the stairs.  
"McGinnis-" Bruce's voice wasn't responded to as Terry turned off the comlink for a second and breathed heavily.  
Bruce scowled in the depths of the batcave, facing the darkening screen of the large batcomputer as Ace lay on the ground beside him, sniffing.  
Batman ran down the stairs and landed down on the hallway and searched through the empty offices. He looked down the hall and ran down the second flight of stairs again. The next floor provided a fade source of light from an office door, opened 2 inches wide. Some shuffling of cabinets and papers were heard. Batman scowled and began to walk towards the office when he also heard a faded muffled voice. He hesitated abruptly and touched the walls with his fingers. Male muffled pleads came through the mics and Batman turned invisible. He stepped forward slowly and opened the door slightly wider for him to fit through. He spotted an elite-looking businessman ransacking through file cabinets, frantically, as a thin bulge of a business suit, wearing glasses with a dirty cloth clogging his struggling mouth and ropes bonding his hands and feet together tightly.   
The elite man standing and ransacking sped through every available paper and turned to his feisty, tied-up opponent and pulled out a taser and shocked him slightly in the chest where the ropes fenced off the severest threat.   
"Tell me where it is or I'll electrocute your spiny a-" his hand unknowingly pointed the taser towards him. His hand shook madly as if he were struggling with an unseen force. He struggled more and the man who sat, tied, widened his eyes in question an horror that he'd gone madder than present.   
"What the-??!! The taser clunked on the desk and the man yelped as a pain struck his hand and was struck in the head, flying back and behind the desk, onto the unwelcoming rough-carpeted floor.   
Batman turned visible, holding a baterang which he stored quickly in his belt.  
"Lost your cred mount so soon, hotshot?" he spoke deeply at the face of a second, but weaker, hated source of Derek Powers; Raymond Charles.  
Charles looked up as a trinkle of blood was swiped off his mouth from his sleeve.   
"Wouldn't YOU know?" he said frustrated. Newsbreak of the day had been the cred-ratings' of the almighty money sensation, Raymond Charls, slipping ground-low. He lunged forward, growling and swinging two fists, one after the other, at Batman, who blocked them.  
Then the man charged at him and sent Batman flying across the office. He flew out the window, breaking it, while at it.  
He descended a few feet and his rocket thrusters were active and he flew up again. He hung from the window sill and flipped inside again. The man charged at him again, with taser in hand. He shocked him as he shouted and his arm drooped from the window.  
He groaned slightly and the man grabbed his weakened body.  
Ter managed to turn invisible but the man's grip didn't cease as he shoved him through the broken window again.  
Terry yelled and fell again, this time not coming back up.  
Charles smiled, pleased. He looked out the window at the many floors below, waiting for a splat. A few floors below his yell was silent.  
Charles nodded and turned to his muffling patient.  
Bruce, meanwhile, activated a switch and on lived the vid link on the batcomputer screen. He enhanced the com link but didn't scold Terry just yet. Instead he raised both eyebrows at the action taking place before his and Terry's eyes.   
A baterang smacked a distracted Charles in the head and severe pain crossed him. He groaned loudly, holding his head firmly.  
Terry growled furiously when he tossed it and lunged in through the window, visible again. It appeared he had been hanging upside down, above the broken office window in stealth mode.  
"YOU need a new technique, pal!" he spoke through his gritted teeth.  
The man tried to wrestle him off but Terry purposely pushed him down with his feet.  
Charles twisted to get off his hold. Then, Batman kicked his rear, hard. The man, tied, raised an eyebrow along with an impressed, but surprised Bruce Wayne. Charles grunted loudly and groaned, defeated. Batman pulled out his batcuffs, scowling deeply and linking his wrists together as the aerial sirens approached outside.   
"Aint it a shame?" Batman said, frowning but in a rough and teasing voice. "How cred-loss sends violence sky-high these days?" With that he untied the innocent dude and took off, running out the way he entered.  
Bruce's gruff voice, whom he had forgotten, came in his ears once more.  
"Interesting way to handle the 'cred-loss' issues."  
Terry sighed and stopped in his tracks, crossing his arms.   
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"The actual strategy you used to nail him down."  
"So I LITERALLY kicked his butt. Easy job: done."  
"If it hadn't been for your ACCIDENTAL tapping of the power switch on the com-link you might have done a neater one. It really is a good thing how as us SUPERVISORS of trainees tend to carry backup."  
Batman resumed running and hopped into the batmobile. Bruce's cold sarcasm was as worse and annoying as what Terry was feeling.  
He sped off and steered the batmobile downtown for a night patrol, Bruce doing his usual scolding.  
****  
"GROUNDED???" came Cat's voice on Ely's phone.  
"How did I deserve this, Cat?" Ely soke softly in the darkness of her room.  
"How did you deserve Hilda Horrid, you mean."  
Ely sighed and put her free hand over her forehead. "I dunno..."  
Cat sighed. "Maybe you should talk to your dad these days?"  
Then the dial tone sung long and loud in Ely's ears.  
"CAT??"   
Footsteps approached her room and in swung Hilda, carrying scissors.  
"She actually has no more sense than you. GROUNDED. Meaning: NO PHONE OR PERSONAL PRIVILEGES OF LEISURE." she slammed the door and Ely still clung the phone to her ears and she realized the tone had disappeared. No phone???  
Her head fell back on her pillows and she exhaled loudly.   
Thursday morning broke into Ely's sleep as her alarm sang and was then punched to silence by her fist.   
Her legs swung so fast off the bed, she winced as some pain travelled through them.  
She got up and frowned at the mess of hair hanging from her head which wore a pair of eyes with a pair of bags under them.   
She got ready for school, faced Hilda the Horrible, FOUGHT Hilda the Horrible, ran out the door with Natalie before Hilda broke a temper tantrum and broke a vase over her head, found her motorcycle locked and unavailable for use and.... cursed in Spanish.  
"Mendiga vieja metiche.....!" She walked out of the apartments' garage lot and took the following bus after Nat's to school, arriving just seconds before marked tardy.  
She panted and ran up the aisle to her seat.  
Cat blinked and looked worried, but relieved at her sight.  
"I THOUGHT Horrid Huntress had something to do with it..." The bell rang and both girls sighed. "Next thing you need is to set her off by being late-"  
"But it's her frigging fault if that happens. CUT ME SOME SLACK, man! She locked my cycle and disconnected my phone line WITH SCISSORS. SHE IS PSYCHOTIC! She thinks tucking Nat in means shoving her into her room and merely SAYING 'Good night.' I might as well order for a new phone line since it could take weeks AFTER these 3 weeks of torture-" Cat shuffled through her papers and Ely turned as Mr. Malecer's eyes met hers.  
"Interesting hearing the chatter in the morning isn't it ladies?" Ely smiled meekly and blushed. He turned to leave to his desk and Ely sunk lower in her chair. When he approached the end of the aisle he turned again, looking more serious. "Get to work, if you don't mind." Ely nodded but he turned before so.  
She sighed and opened her book.  
Terry's eyes turned to her, recalling her from GYM. She acted as if she was feeling just as worse as him. Maybe she was..Or maybe she exaggerated.. or-  
"Mr. McGinnis, I hope the sign that you're awake for once doesn't bring negative results as well." said Mr. Malecer, raising his eyes from his coffee and roster.   
Terry's shoulders rose and his head sunk a bit. He went back to his book.  
Ely's eyes fell on him. Was it just her or was HE also chased by misfortuned events alongside her?  
Eternal minutes later, 1st period ended and Terry told Max he'd catch up.  
Ely grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder, Cat following.   
Terry opened his mouth to speak but Cat beat him to it.  
"So far, Horrid Huntress won't come around shortening your time even if you bake her cookies." Ely half-scoffed and half-laughed.  
"Hell nah." they turned and exited the doorway.  
"There a problem, Mr. McGinnis?"  
"Nah. Thanks. Later Mr. Malecer." he hurried out the door and shook off the feeling to talk to Ely until later in the day.  
6th period neared as Terry looked at his watch, leaving 6 minutes left for dismissal.  
His cel vibrated in his jacket pocket and he took it out, opening it.  
M A D S T A N ' S M I S S I N G A G A I N . C O M E T O T H E M A N S I O N A S A P.  
read the message. Short and to the point. Terry smiled lightly. He raised his hand high in the air. It took Mrs. Martel seconds to spot it. She paused her speech.  
"Yes, Terrance?"  
Terry winced unnoticably. "Mrs. Martel, I just got an urgent message from my boss. May I be excused?"   
Mrs. Martel and Max looked oddly at him.  
"I don't think it's so urgent as to be excused only 5 minutes before dismissal."  
Someone in the back of the class muttered. "Then maybe it's not critical to care about this crud at such a drastic time.." Some students laughed.  
Terry sighed under his breath and he took out his phone.  
Mrs. Martel raised an eyebrow.  
"Now, Nelson-"  
"Mr. Wayne-" Mrs. Martel tensed. "I don't think I can make it at the moment-" spoke Terry into his silent cel-phone, turned off.  
"Oh, it's okay, dear. You run along and take care of business. You're excused." Mrs. Martel said cheerily, blushing.  
Anti-fool proof she was. Terry nodded and thanked her, winking secretly at Max who just smirked.  
He was glad to be rid of Mrs. Martel's classroom and atmosphere. He ran through the halls and out the main school entrance. He got on his motorcycle and sped off to Wayne Manor.  
"Oh, he's good." Max whispered to herself but Ely, who sat near her, overheard and smiled.  
Both girls typed in unison.   
Mrs. Martel spoke.   
"Alright, class. For this weekend's homework:" the class groaned. Mrs. Martel pretended to have not heard them and she wrote the assignment on the chalkboard. Out of all teachers, Mrs. Martel was one of the few who still lived old-fashioned.  
"To write a report on a specified biological term, it's importances in science and in life... Get your minds working." she said with a giggle.  
"Due on Wednesday, you must have 3 bibliography sources. AND IT'S WORTH HALF YOUR GRADE!" she sing songed.  
The bell rang and people trotted out, exhausted at merely the sign of homework.  
"Ugh. Just what I need." Ely said while stuffing her laptop in her bag.  
Max did the same. "Yah. Nothing like a litle term paper for torture." Ely chuckled and began to exit her row. Cat waited at the end of it.  
"But it must be no sweat to you. You can beat this paper better than anyone." Ely said, smiling, and Max stood, looking pleased.  
"Yah.. thanks."  
"I'm Ely." said Ely shaking her hand.  
"Max." Both girls laughed.  
"This is my friend, Cat. Cat, this is Max." The three girls chatted their way out to the hallway.  
"So you know.. Terry, is it?" Ely asked curiously.  
Max looked at her. "Yah. We're real good friends." Max looked at both Ely and Cat's waiting eyes. "He works for Bruce Wayne. It's supposedly a part-time job but he's always slagged."  
Ely nodded and Cat whistled. "Bruce Wayne. He must have it BAD," she said, amazed at his success...  
Max smirked. Ely thought for a sec.   
So, Terry McGinnis worked for Bruce Wayne? Maybe he wasn't as slagged as she thought.  
"*sighs* Alright, we better head for the library, then," said Ely and Max piped up.  
"Need a ride?" she said reading her mind and Cat raised an eyebrow, amused. "I'm part of your fan club and noticed your cycle missing in the lonely premises." said Max with a chuckle and Ely joined.  
"Sure, thanks." "Yah, cool." both girls responded, relieved. Ely finally met her second favorite fan besides Cat.   
"I feel for you, Ely-Chan." said Cat as she patted her shoulder, smiling as they walked out onto the student parking lot. "No home internet-access. Bummer being hit by this term paper."  
Ely managed a laugh. "Dont remind me."  
Max opened her sister's cardoors and smiled but frowned as a shadow appeared over Ely. She turned.  
"Gee... poor Gonzalez girl. Where's your schway bike? I thought you were gonna give me a ride." Nelson said casually, leaning towards her as his friends laughed in the background.  
Ely stared at him and smirked, evilly.  
"Dunno about that." She reached the last nerve and, annoyed, swung her fist at his chin and he was knocked backward where his and her friends stared, shocked or admiringly at her.  
"Bad time to talk." she sat in the back of Max's car. "Later."  
Cat smirked and sat in the front seat.   
"YOU, my friend, should join martial arts to be able to dash that guy." Max turned from the steering wheel.  
"HEY.. I watched Teen Titans back in my day too...." Ely declared proudly. Cat agreed and Max beamed at her.  
"Titans..." she grinned and started up the car, zooming off.  
Ely grinned through the horrid thoughts of home.  
'Hilda's gonna kill me.'  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
***A/N: Wow.. not even MY mom is that cruel. *hand backstage pokes and voice snickers* -_- OK... To not bore the already few readers I have... Please check my bio for frequent updates on what IS true about me(*ELY*) and the ties to this fic (and some Spanish translations) if u wish. *poke* --__-- I PROMISE the next chapter is the rise of action and turning point! GET THE FIREWORKS STARTED!!! It'll be updated sooner than the 2nd chap. BTW. Max is also based on another of my friends: pen name: 'Robyn' (!)YAH ROB! *poke**sighs* Ok. I'm done. Please review... 


	3. Shadows of Jest

Here comes the wave of P.O.V.'s! This chap's dedicated to moi(hence my name.. ahem..), Jake, Dear Aunt Jester (whose character was remade into Hilda ^^) and NO OFFENSE MEANT TO ALEX!! Read and review.  
  
DiScLaImEr: I seemingly cannot find myself to be in position of owning any heroes.. except the ones in my imagination.. so lea'e me alone.  
  
Chapter 3: Shadows of Jest  
  
Terry's P.O.V.  
There was something about the way Wayne had written that message that, not only had me out of school with AN ACTUAL EXCUSE.. but wondering..   
I swooped in on the curve and drove up the lane to the mansion. There was also something else I pondered..  
Out of all the psychopaths I've faced.. and all the sickly dimented rivals I had.. they were nothing compared to the odd churning feeling I had everytime I drove up this lane... It left memories scattered all over the road... bad and worse...  
It always creeped me out to drive up this lane.. No matter what. But I always managed to fight it off and stared ahead at what I was meant to do and go to.  
  
I halted my bike at the entrance and ran around to the other side of the mansion, where the hidden path of the batmobile's route tunnel lay beneath bushes and trees. I looked into the peek of the tunnel and the trees swayed aside, revealing the entrance and I ran in as it closed right back, immediately, behind me.   
I ran through the shadows and dimmed lights of the batcave and panted swiftly. I regained normal-paced breathing as Wayne's chair spun and his face met my questioning eyes.  
The screen behind him turned on and the Commisioner's face appeared.  
  
"Barbara wants a word, Terry."  
I raised an eyebrow.   
"I thought Stan was on the lose.." I spoke, demanding to set forward and fight the dreg.. Mostly, everytime the commish had to "have a word with me" the chances usually pointed at trouble.  
"McGinnis," came her stern voice. Bruce had his hands meet the opposing fingers as if forming a teepee and brought them to his forehead, making my eyebrow raise higher.   
My eyes lingered back to the commish. I couldn't tell by her expression, what was coming.  
"I appreciate your aid with stopping Charles' renegade breakthrough," she said, with actual meaning, but no token of gratitude.. I swallowed. Our conversation wasn't going to end at that just yet.  
"..But was it fairly necessary to bruise him up for us?" she said, raising an eyebrow and leaning in on the screen.   
  
I held back a smirk. I shrugged.   
"A guy's gotta do what he's gotta do to stop 'em." I said, playfully. A collective scowl from both Barbara and Bruce's part ran through my head. I put my hands in my pockets.  
  
"Wasn't I supposed to-" I began but was cut off by Barbara.  
"Nevertheless, McGinnis, Mad Stan's been captured before he even escaped the building. He's been put in ISO for some time.."  
  
I sighed, both relieved and annoyed. At least the job was done for me...  
"Good." I muttered and Bruce spoke up.  
"You're not off the line, though."  
  
I looked at him and my gaze fell on Barbara. More scolding? Ah, slag... Can't I just jump off a building, instead? With a bat-line, that is.  
I frowned and looked as the commish's face made a soft change. She wasn't angry anymore.. But it was that look I couln't put to words but only describe as the mystic, deep oblivion gaze look, as if reminiscing... but the bad times.  
My shoulders felt heavy. I waited for either of them to speak, afraid I'd get the slip if I were the first.   
  
Barbara let out a sigh.  
"The Jokerz have been bailed out.. we don't know by whom.. But we're not talking honest jailbreak. All the guards were knocked out when we came in... we haven't had the chance to capture them."  
I looked at her and then at Bruce. The mutt's head seemed to bob up when I looked at him. He got up and walked over to me and I scratched the back of his ears.  
  
I thought and finally spoke.. when Bruce gave me the green light.  
"I'm on it." I said deeply and Ace licked my hand.  
Bruce nodded and the commish followed.  
"Keep me updated." With that she shut off her com link and Bruce turned off the screen.  
  
He gave me the usual boss look: you-know-what-you've-got-ahead-so-put-on-the-batsuit-right-now-and-leave.  
*scoff, laugh* Oh yah. I left Ace sitting on the floor and took out the black spandex suit I so possessed and went into the changing screens on another side of the batcave and changed in a few seconds.   
I gave Bruce a single nod and ran to the batmobile and left through the way I came in.. but instead 156 mph faster.  
****  
Ely's P.O.V  
I put up my hair in a low ponytail and a strand of hair ran across part of my left eye and cheek.  
Max parked near the library.  
Our line of study group entered through the library and we settled our backpacks and laptops on a far off table and began our search. Cat headed to the computers and searched the database for books on biology and Max joined her side, using search engines online as her guide.  
  
My mind, however, wandered off the subject for a while. My eyes closed and I put my head down on the table, on top of my folder.  
  
*the image of this scenery is blurred, somewhat, and lines swerve as a landscape of night falls over*  
My face was that of tears sliding, one after the other.. My hair locked around my face as the wind roared around me and I stared at the ground, closing my eyes. The same, unknown shadow had approached from behind and walked up to me so slowly..  
I shook my head, and a black, gloved hand had rested heavily upon my shoulder. I looked up, my eyes twinkling of tears. So, I ceased, decisively and got up... My eyes seemed to land on the ground and I saw a puddle... So clear.. so clean and crystal. My reflection spread in ripples and so the clear water no longer was and it filled of sludge and turned harsh and unsanitary. I let out a gasp and looked up.   
But the odd part was, I left the ground with rage filling in me slowly. My voice echoed in shouts and grunts as I fought with the bare wind. I drew in a punch. My hand disappeared and reappeared, as I recall sitting up in bed, my eyes shut tight and a disgusted frown which I felt burn on my face..  
  
That, I woke with yesterday.. and a tingling fear took me.  
And it still remained with me.. even now. I sighed. Cat had to have a point. These dreams weren't just dreams.. Hell. They were NIGHTMARES... But.. so long on the same scene.. they must be a warning.. or a foresight of something...  
  
'That puddle of water....' I gasped lightly. A rush of desperate feelings took over and I got up. I felt myself walking like if in a nightmare. I went to a laptop and looked up:  
'Salvadorian Superstitions'   
  
I knew I was losing it.. but my mind was determined to find this. Oddly enough it appeared on the screen.   
There were 6 books. 3 were about geography and country history. The other was about culture. The last two were about religions and beliefs. My eyes fell on the one that said: 'Salvadorian Customs and Beliefs'  
  
I sighed and felt a bit relieved.. as IF sighing were a part of releasing stress I'd be clean by now. I left the chair and a girl sat in my place.   
  
I looked at the destinated shelf and looked everywhere. My eyes blurred. I sighed louder and brought out my stubborn glasses. The print on all the books before my eyes became more clear and sharp.   
No.. No... No... No..  
  
A new feeling reached my heart. I paused my search and looked everywhere.  
I saw a study group on one table and I saw Cat standing up from her chair.. perhaps to search for her books.  
Strangely.. I felt paranoia and looked over my shoulder. My hand felt something heavy fall on it. My head spun. I saw a thick book resting upon it. I placed it back, properly and then a shiver ran through my bones.  
I spun my head and felt a small pain on my scalp.  
  
"OW." I responded and saw a girl gasp frantically, now in front of me. She took a step back.  
  
"OH! I'm sorry." She said looking sheepish.  
I blinked.  
She managed a chuckle.  
  
"Sorry if I startled you." she whispered as the librarian glared at us. "I'm just looking for a book."  
I exhaled softly and smiled, blushing. My head was spinning. "Sure, no prob."  
  
She and I searched on opposite shelves and I couldn't find the fragging book. I was growing more desperate by the second.  
"Salvadorian..." I looked through 4 more pairs of books. "Customs and Beliefs... Customs and-"  
"Is this the book you're looking for?" The girl behind me asked. I turned and a large, wide smile spread over her face.  
I read the edge of it.  
"Yah. This is it! Thanks."   
  
She saluted and giggled. "No prob." She turned and her body-long, smooth blonde hair danced around her as she turned and began to search for her own book. I walked to my table and sat, glancing the 'Table of Contents' twice.   
  
"Salvadorian Superstitions." I drew in a breath and went to page 48.   
I looked over the 7 pages of superstitions and found the one I had in mind since this morning.  
"Salvadorian beliefs say it to be that when one dreams of dirtied waters..." I read the line in my head. My shoulders dropped and I frowned.  
".... there would be a dear price of a loved one or someone close under a grave illness..."  
  
"Oh shi--No.." I groaned lightly.  
I put my head down again.  
  
'It's just a superstition from your descendants' part... It's not bound to be true.. It CAN'T be true..'  
But who am I to kid? I DO believe in this such superstition. My aunts, uncles and grandfather had claimed they had had this dream.. and such consequences took place. Though they be paranoia.. such as I'm feeling right now.. I believe.. Once, my aunt had dreamt such a dream and my grandfather was in need of surgery and gained a severe cause of diabetes.   
  
Max put her hand on my shoulder.  
"You feeling okay?" she asked with a hint of concern.  
I looked up and by the way her eyes widened.. I removed my glasses and my eyes felt hot and irritated.   
"Your eyes are red.." She whispered.  
I closed my eyes and blinked. They were hurting.  
  
"Yah.. probably all the intense reading.." I shrugged and forced a smile. That was true.. once when I spent about 5 hours online, chatting with a good friend of mine, Hilda grounded me for an eternity and claimed I was wasting time, money, energy and my eyesight.. As she disgustedly looked at my redenning eyes.  
She turned out being right.. And I DESPISE it when that happens.  
  
Max didn't look convinced. She crossed her arms and looked at the book I had looked up.  
"That your subject?" she said with a soft smirk.  
I looked at it.. It DID have a connection with biology..  
"Nah.. I'm just.. reading on some family culture.." I smiled lightly.. Oh the good old days with my grandfather...  
"Well.. I'd better put a move on homework before the weekend catches up to us." She left the table, smiling.  
  
She was right. I put the book back in its place and checked out a book on marine biology. The thought of making homework a subject I enjoyed everytime I joined the waters of a swimming pool or body of water.. FASCINATING.. made me brighten up a little..  
"OH! Marine Biology?? Envy, Ely. I picked mine to be Forensics." Cat said with a light grin.  
I smirked when we left the library.  
  
IF a disease strikes.. please let it be me..or... never mind.. just me.  
  
"Hey. How bout we grab some burgers at Beefy's?" Max suggested when we sat in her car.  
Cat tilted her head a bit, with a smile and I shrugged.  
"I'll take that as a possible yes?" I managed to laugh with her and Cat.  
  
I rubbed my eyes. The pain was still seeping in..  
When I opened them again, a motorcycle appeared on my side of the window.  
I stared at it with anxious eyes and raised an eyebrow at it's dark pink color.. then at it's chauffeur.  
My pained eyes widened.   
  
"Jokerz?!!" I yelped and Max looked at me with questioning eyes through the rear-view mirror. She and Cat looked sideways and joined me in yelping. Max flung the steering wheel sideways and changed lanes.. But the latex-suit wearing Joker with a wild wave of hair and pink motorcycle bumped into us. Max scowled at the crash.  
  
"Oh.. great!" she mumbled.  
"What the heck does he want from us?!" Cat scowled at the guffawing Joker.. obviously enjoying the destruction he was doing to Max's sibling-borrowed car.   
My headache was getting bigger and I scowled deeply at the buffoon.  
*******  
Terry's P.O.V.   
I blinked.  
The batmobile swooped in, as I commanded.  
The batmobile launched into the freeway's roads, as I commanded.  
I squinted my eyes.   
"Joker at 12 o'clock." I responded and bumped into the dreg's cycle.. as I purposely had called the batmobile to do so.  
  
I faked a smirk and swooped up.. disappearing from road's sight. I quickly launched cameo mode on the batmobile and left it to steer in auto pilot and launched myself downward and flew toward the freeway again.  
  
I smiled at the wind hitting my face.  
"Home, sweet home." I said and the dreg turned as I let my fist fly freely into his face.  
OOOH.. alliteration.  
  
I knocked him out on the street and swooped him up. His motorcycle had gone freely and crashed into the bridge's side.  
As I flew, carrying a desperate hanging excuse of a clown, I muttered deeply,  
"You done enough partying yet, dreg?"  
He yelped and clung to my arms tightly.  
"Don't worry.. I won't let you down.." I teased and let go of one of his hands.  
He shrieked and clung tighter to my other arm.  
  
I spotted a police car and flew lower.  
The driver stopped the car in mid air and jumped out, looking up at our arrival.  
  
"This stupid Joker went down.." I said in my usual rough voice and he screamed, to me sounding delightful, as I let him fall to the guards' feet. They stared at me and I nodded.  
  
They reached down for him and held him down, cuffing him.  
I turned in flight and headed back to the bridge.  
After a few seconds of my eyes searching every car behind my mask, I spotted the Joker's target and let myself land below. I ran to where they had their car parked on the freeway's exit.  
  
I was a bit surprised when I saw Max come out.  
I ran to her and then saw another girl and the girl from History jump out as well.  
  
"Thank you." said the first girl.  
Max looked worried.  
  
"Just doing the city's Joker roundup." I responded, crossing my arms.  
The girl I claimed popular from History blinked repeatedly.  
I turned to her and Max.  
"You guys okay?"  
"Yah.." the second girl muttered, sounding tired.  
  
She left me looking at her. Her eyes were red and looked irritated... like if she had cried. She looked slagged and.. disturbed.  
Max woke me from my trance.  
"The dreg fragged up my sister's car.." she muttered. I smiled behind the mask.  
"I'd better get back to police matters." I pointed behind me with my thumb and flew off.  
******  
Ely's P.O.V.  
About half an hour later, my fear, paranoia and dream trauma left me some. I sat next to Cat as a guy zoomed up in a hover board, carrying our orders.  
"Thanks." we all muttered.  
  
I reached for some fries and sipped some lemonade.  
I had ordered a salad.. Nothing heavy or I'd be so stressed I'd throw up.  
I dabbed at the lettuce and chicken aimlessly with my fork.  
  
The sound-speaker system everywhere started playing a new song. Cat shrieked and I couldn't help but smile.  
They played one of our favorite soft rock songs: 'I Miss You' by the pasttime band 'Blink 182'.  
It brought back memories of times I laughed with Nat and all the other sappy thoughts lost in my head.  
Max and Cat's heads rocked back and forth and I couldn't help but hum under my breath to the strumming of the guitar.  
  
A few seconds into my salad and a few seconds after the song started, a guy almost 6 feet tall with shiny black hair with long strands over his eye and forehead, wearing a brown jacket and navy blue jeans, smiled and walked up to us.  
  
Max sipped some soda and waved.  
The McGinnis kid stood next to our table and smiled at Cat and I.  
"Hello there." he sang along. "Hey, new crowd." He said and Max got up.  
"Cat, Ely this is Terry."  
  
Terry shook Cat's hand and then aimed for mine. I shook it with a smile.  
"Guy from GYM, right?" I asked curiously.   
He smirked. "Girl from History, right?"  
My smile grew wider and I chuckled after all day of monotone. Max and Cat's eyes landed on me.  
"Yah." We both found ourselves saying in unison.  
Cat joined us in smiling. My eyes twinkled and Cat smirked, laughing.  
Terry sat next to Max and we all sang along to the song.  
  
I was shaking off every negative thought haunting me and had fun singing after AGES and was within conversation in seconds.  
"So I heard you work for Bruce Wayne." Cat said and sipped some soda.  
Terry's slice of pizza arrived and he held it before biting into it.  
"Yah.." he said with a hint of lost amusement. "Not what you might call.. fun." he said and bit into his pizza.  
I propped my chin on my hands. He made me want to laugh as he ate. His locks of hair fell over his forehead and I stared at him. He was kind of cute.   
  
They passed another of my favorite songs. 'Don't Tell Me' by 'Avril Lavigne'. Yah. I'm into a lot of rock music...  
Cat's cel phone rang and she stopped laughing and answered.  
"'Lo?" She listened for about 5 seconds. She winced.  
"Sure. Just a moment.." She handed me the phone with an apologetic look.  
'Oh no...' I thought and took it reluctantly. I got up and signaled for everyone to excuse me.  
  
"Yah?" I asked in a soft voice.. yet I was answered much louder.  
"ELISELDA. I specifically told you your privileges of leisure were TAKEN FOR 3 WEEKS!!" Hilda's voice shouted in my ear as if she were in front of me.  
Terry, Max and Cat must have overheard and I groaned, walking further from their table.  
  
"Hilda.. I have a homework assignment I had to research at the library."  
A laughing couple skidded by.  
I could almost see Hilda wanting me to see her expression of anger with my own eyes.  
  
"Oh, sure, sweetie." It's weird.. when she was excruciatingly nice.. she scared me.. "And I supose the people around you are all studying?"  
"Hilda. I just stopped to eat some.. lunch."  
Hilda let out a groan of disgust.  
"Here. Be HERE in 10 minutes."  
She hung up.  
  
I sighed.  
Man.. I hate home...  
*******  
Terry's P.O.V.  
I took another bite of my pizza.  
"...privileges of leisure were TAKEN FOR 3 WEEKS!!" a stern and colder-than-Bruce or Barbara's-voice was heard loudly from the distant phone. I put down my slice of pizza and Cat stared down at the table.. as if she were ashamed of something. Her shoulders lifted uneasily and she bit her lip as Max and I stared at each other.  
I turned to Ely.  
  
She spoke much softer than the voice coming through the phone.   
I saw her shoulders drop and had taken it she sighed. She held the cel phone on her hand and I looked at Max, getting up.   
  
I walked over to her. I put my hand on her shoulder.  
"Something wrong?"  
She turned with her eyes closed and didn't look up at me.  
"I have to go. My mother wants me at home... to help her cook."  
  
I could tell straight-on-down that was a lie. Clearly her mother DID want her home.. but not for cooking.  
But as the usual me would do.. I let go of her shoulder and walked behind her, back to the table.  
She finally opened her eyes and managed a look of appreciation towards Max.  
"Thanks for the ride. I have to get going now.." She smiled at Max, who tensed, and handed Cat back her cel. She reached to hug her shortly.   
  
"Take care.." I heard her whisper.  
I heard a few cat-calls and whistling in back of me and I turned.  
"Oh no.."  
  
A group of kids ran from their table as a Joker girl tumbled onto it. She stood up and did some kicks and cheers like if she were a cheerleader.  
My eyes widened.  
She stood up and put a hand on her left hip and grinned at me. It was one of the raggedy-clown girl 'Dee-Dee' twins. Shortly, her sister joined her and tumbled, trampling on a guy who screamed to let him go.  
She pounced on him and sat on his back, like I recall she did to me.. or.. her sister...  
  
"HEY! LEMME GO!" He shrieked.  
"Okey dokey." she said and jumped off, shrugging and placig her hands on her hips.  
  
The girls next to me were all staring at the scene along with me and I finally ran for them.  
A bazooka shell shot my way, but missed. I was lucky enough it was a small shell..  
  
Max shrieked and ran to me.  
"Ter!"  
"Get down!" I screamed and shoved her onto the floor, covering hers and my head.  
I glanced as Ely and Cat hid under the table.  
Ely met my eyes.. and they read terror.  
  
"MAX!!! TERRY???!"  
I bared my teeth and signaled for them to stay down.  
I stared as my bckpack stood on the bench I was sitting at...  
No chance at hero dressing-up with THIS dreg shooting everywhere.  
  
Windows were broken, people ran and screamed, smiley bombs hit at tables and spray paint was covering everything.  
  
"So we-"  
"Meet again-"  
"Batfake."  
The twins whispered as they had ordered Woof to stop scaring people and Ghoul to stop the shooting.  
"We're BAA-AAAAACK!" they shouted happily in unison.  
  
Max and I stood up, shocked.  
"You-" Max began.  
"Never mind!" The twins answered for me and one of them winked while the other kicked Max down.  
I bared my teeth even tighter but the other twin patted the taser's safe part on her hand.  
  
"Shocked to see us?" she asked, a large grin running swiftly through her face and she aimed at my chest but I dodged and elbowed her to the ground as I turned. She fell and the taser skidded under a table.  
"HEY!" she and her twin shouted in unison.  
"That's cheating!" Her twin said and aimed a kicked at my face but I caught it and swung her into her sister. They both thudded to the floor again.  
  
The other Goth creep shot lasers at me and Hyena Boy drooled through his open mouth as he ran to pounce on me. I dodged his incoming blow and he worked his nails into my arm. I winced as the sharp pain travelled.  
He caught my weak arm and shoved me onto a table. He jumped at me but I kicked him off. Ghoul shot another wave of lasers and I flipped sideways to avoid them.  
  
But, stupid dunce, as I ran for him and knocked him out as his head hit a pole with an echoing bang, his master's loyal friend came to avenge him and jumped on top of me, his claws digging at my arms and legs. I felt one thin line burning on my neck and I tried to toss him but he slapped me down to the ground.   
He pinned me there and I struggled to get him off me.  
I grunted on several occasions of him scratching and biting at me. I just waited for me to gain some sort of help-  
  
I looked up, the weight was off my back and Woof, lay unconscious on the floor, next to me.  
A blurred image appeared over me. My eyes caught back their focus.  
*****  
Ely's P.O.V.  
I offered him a hand.  
I grinned at Cat, as she swung the taser within her fingers and laughed victoriously.  
"Nothing like a little shock to take 'em down." She said and I helped Terry up. I gasped at the sight of his jacket ripped on many areas and a thin, but deep, bloody line now engraved on his neck.  
  
"Oh my-" I shook my head and let him semi-lean on my shoulder. "You okay??!" I asked, extremely worried. He seemed real nice to me..  
"Yah.." He gasped and massaged his neck.  
I felt some weight on my head and I turned as one of the twins pulled my hair.  
  
"HEY! OW!" She pulled a knot of hair off and I clutched my head.. BETTER not be a bald spot.  
"Congratulations!" Said the twin. I grew furious.  
"YAH!" I laughed sarcastically, along with her.  
"Thanks for ridding my hair of knots!" I said and pulled at her red matted wig.  
"OWW!" She shrieked I held her hair for a few seconds and let her go. She kicked at my leg but I jumped.  
****  
Terry's P.O.V.  
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh CRUD-!"  
****  
Ely's P.O.V.  
I landed back down but flew back up again and single-kicked her stomach and she fell backwards.  
Her twin growled loudly and tumbled at me.  
She held my hands back and I leaned forward. I exerted the force I had available and flung her off my back and over my head.   
My back, eventually cracked.  
  
She shrieked as I tossed her off and landed right next to the hideous hyena splicer.  
I panted.  
  
Cat walked over with Terry, who seemed to be regaining the strength in his legs.  
But he didn't seem to care about that.   
"How'd you do that?" both he and Cat asked. Max joined them.  
"We'd better get out of here before they wake up."  
  
We all nodded and headed quickly to her car.  
Terry had trouble assuring us he'd be fine on his motorcycle.  
"YOU'RE the ones who need guards or something.." He muttered and I stared at the sky with a sigh (OOH alliteration AND rhyme.) Men...  
  
He waved and walked to his cycle and sped off.  
Max did the same and I gave her directions to where I lived.  
  
"Thanks so much. I'll see you later."  
"Take care." she said and Cat nodded with a sad twinkle in her eyes.  
"Yah. You too. Later."  
  
Max and Cat reluctantly zoomed off and I walked up the stairs to the apartment. The second I opened it I felt a gush of haunting air hit me and Hilda started yelling at me for being 10 minutes late.  
Why should I bother telling you what she said?? *groan*  
*****  
Bruce's P.O.V.  
"It can't be him, Bruce. It just can't be." she said, raising her voice at my unflattered image. Her gaze was equal as mine and I returned her reluctance.  
  
"Barbara would you have an alternative explanation as to why his symptoms are acting up and as to why the crime rates of Gotham are slipping through our fingers?" I spoke sternly but calmly.  
"Bruce... Terry did away with that."  
"Maybe. But not entirely, as the case has shown." I said with a tone of finality. "It's amazing how stubborn you are just now, Barbara, at the bare truth showing its face."  
"But he had been recovering grandly. How is it possible any escaped memories can alarm his behavior?" I paused at this line. Her voice was no longer challenging, but worried.  
  
"I don't know Barbara. But this force is stopping at nothing.. and we HAVE to stop HIM.. no matter what it takes."  
******  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
What the heck are they talking about? Did y'all enjoy the Deeds' comeback?! Please R and R! 


	4. An UnWanted Comeback

a high pitched squeal is heard as a shaded person appears, phasing into the room through a wall THANK U my reviewers! I read ur email Arch.. Too bad. Oh well: Great to hear from u! CAT! U REVIEWED! WAHOO! telekinesis powers go on the brink and she levitates at full speed into the air Ok.. Well.. You see? Just review and get more chappies! Thank u to fire inu and animelover08831 as well! Ok read on..  
  
DiScLaImEr: I Must not repeat what I do not own, but my life and story..  
  
ChApTeR 4: An Unwanted Comeback  
  
Terry put on his helmet as he watched the girls zoom off and home. His eyes shifted sideways twice and he pressed a small unseen button on the temple of his forhead, on the outeriour of the helmet. He quickly speed-dialed a number and the Commissioner's monotonous voice came through.   
  
"Gordon."   
  
Terry looked at the remains of Beefey Burger's sanitary sight. "Barbara. It's Terry. Got ourselves a bunch of stow-away Jokerz at Beefey's."  
  
The commissioner raised an eyebrow on the other end of the line. She paused and got up, gripping the phone.  
  
"Be there in 3," and with that she hung up.  
  
Terry nodded and sped off as well.  
  
=======================================  
  
Looking back at the oh-so-welcoming scenes of a spray-painted, table broken, messed up, tagged, wet, bloody, food-messy and articles spread throughout the grounds of Beefey Burger, an unconscious Ghoul still lay at an unchanged state, Woof on top of him with his feet drooping and his tongue drooling off on him and the twins regained focus on their blurred eyesight.   
  
One of the twins looked around and scoffed.  
  
"They took our taser!!" she said and crossed her arms.  
  
The other smirked. She hopped on over to Ghoul and Woof and flicked Woof's nose. The hyena-boy sniffed and yelped quietly, stirring in his sleep and flipping off of Ghoul. The fell broke his trance and he shook his head, licking his hand and panting cheerfully at DeeDee, who guffawed as her sister kicked at Ghoul, angered by losing her taser. Ghoul licked his lips and muttered in his sleep.  
  
"But she's a meanie, mumsie.."   
  
DeeDee brought him to his feet as a whir of machine and air swiftly landed a few yards away. A pink-suited over-weight bald clown with a clown mask and his superior-marked pink jumpsuit, jumped off a hover-lift and ran to his team of Jokerz.  
  
Chucko stopped and the Deeds walked up to him casually, Woof trotting with Ghoul hanging over his shoulder.  
  
"You got it?" Chucko asked the Deeds and one of them grinned slyly, pulling out a bunch of hair strands from her pocket, her sister wincing behind her shoulder.  
  
"The twip better-"  
  
"Not have lice.." they said as they handed Chucko Ely's hair and put it in a test-tube.  
  
"Yah.. well it won't be a nast when we get cold, hard creds.." he said chuckling and running back to the hover-lift with his gang running behind him.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Terry sighed as he walked, tiredly past the living room and straight to the fridge.  
  
Matt peered from the doorway and blinked. He smirked slyly and crept up behind his brother, who now took out milk, cheese, bologna, tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise all in two arms. He stepped back and nearly triped over a bedazzled Matt McGinnis.  
  
"TWIP!" Terry ran him out onto the living room after putting all the stuff down on the counter, waiting to be made into dinner. Matt yelled mercy and hopped onto the couch, begging he'd surrender as long as Terry would quit power-noogying and hanging him from his shirt.   
  
Terry scowled and dropped him on the couch, turning back onto his meal.  
  
Matt brushed his shoulders and massaged the back of his head.. which had been statically charged and hair-altered from the noogying.  
  
He grinned wider and ran into the kitchen.. skidding a step back everytime his brother took a step closer to him.   
  
Mary walked in, sighing.  
  
Matt looked at her and deceivingly at Terry.  
  
"Did you get in a fight?!" He shouted.  
  
Mary's eyes widened and she walked up to them. She realized what Matt was referring to.  
  
A bright but drying spot of blood trickled out of Terry's fabric-cut knee..  
  
"What happened to your pants??" she demanded, growing a bit pale by the second.  
  
"It's just a little scratch.." he said attempting to give Matt a wedgie as he buzzed around him, succesfully..  
  
Mary lowered herself down and inspected Terry's cut.  
  
"I faced some Jokerz on my way home.." he blurted out.  
  
Mary stood up next to him and looked him in the eyes.. deeply.  
  
Terry blinked and placed the bologna on top of the cheese, followed by the lettuce and tomato. He closed up his sandwhich and put it on a plate.  
  
Mary looked concerned but dropped the subject reluctatnly, heading out of the kitchen to her room.  
  
"Nice going twip," he said and smacked Matt on the back of his head. He grimaced and was left with his arms crossed in the loneliness of the kitchen as his brother headed to his room with his sandwhich.  
  
Terry closed the door behind him and sat back on his bed. He no sooner took a bite out of his snack when his cel-phone rang.   
  
He sighed and lowered the sandwhich from his mouth and flipped open his cel, taking it to his ear.  
  
"Yah?" he asked and bit the bread, nevertheless.  
  
"McGinnis, I assure you I arrived at the right place.. only to find not the right people." It was the commissioner.. and she sounded mad and unsatisfied. Terry smacked his head and some crumbs flew onto his forehead.  
  
"You mean they're gone?!" he said groaning.  
  
"No. I mean we found them and I'm calling to assure how much you earned for the day... Of course we didn't find them! My men have searched this place from top to bottom and no Jokerz are left behind!"  
  
"Aw..geez.." Terry said and ignored his hunger for a minute. He SHOULD have stayed to watch them...  
  
"I'm sorry Barbara.. they were unconscious and.."  
  
"Well it looks like they woke up.. McGinnis.. You just put me down for a goose-chase... I don't want any more escaped prisoners escaping again.. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yah.."  
  
"Good." she clicked and Terry flipped close his cel, sighing.  
  
Matt jerked his head into the opening door of Terry's room and sang:  
  
"Tewy got in a fight! And he's in big swagging twoub-AAH!" he winced and ran off, slamming the door shut behind him as a slice of mayonaited expired cheese flew onto his face.  
  
(Wah wah waaaaaaaaaah)  
  
======================================  
  
Ely's P.O.V.  
  
"..and she expects me to believe that bologna! Chased by the Joker gang.. hmph.." came beloved Hilda's ignored words on the other side of the wall as she spoke to my father, supposedly, on the phone. SHe probably was faking it to just SCARE me.. If she really wanted to scare me to death.. she should wear a dress and act feminine in front of my very eyes for once.. or just act out my daily nightmares... One of many reasons I lay awake at nearly 10:30 with welcoming insomnia, in front of my mirror.  
  
Out of all the bad-hair days and days where I wished a part of me would change for once.. I've never been moping about my looks in the privacy of my own room and mirror with nothing special going on, like a party, except for today.  
  
"AAH!"   
  
I couldn't help but squeal at the uneven sight of one side of my hair, where the Jokerz had pulled off a giant knot, drowning out Hilda's voice as she spoke again... I passed my fingers softly on my scalp... It was still hurting.. faintly.  
  
I brushed my hair and formed it into a braid, readying myself to sleep.. and dream of the dark landscape again..  
  
Hilda's footsteps neared my door. AWWWW.. she's coming tuck me in..  
  
The door opened slowly and she turned on the light as I turned off my bedstand lamp, which was a light-giving turtle.  
  
"What now.." I said as I shuffled under the blanket, covering my stubborn eyes from the hurtful light. No answer.  
  
I turned on my stomach and just lay there.. waiting to hear more scolding to welcome my nightmare.  
  
Still no answer. I grew impatient and shoved the blanket off my face, sitting up in bed.  
  
"What is it, Hilda?" I said, my voice raising slightly more from last time. I paused. Instead of seeing an angered face of hers standing by my door.. I saw a look of fright and disbelief in her eyes. I half-expected her mood to change and to laugh at the very look on my own face at her faked expression... but it remained flat and concerned.  
  
"Hilda?" I asked suddenly, before I could stop myself. She was gripping the phone in her hand and she dropped it. I refrained from getting up and gasping.. Instead I watched the phone fall and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What's up with you?"  
  
Hilda grew pale and gripped the door firmly, leaning on the wall. Ok.. as far as jokes go.. Hilda doesn't waste time with them.  
  
I got up and looked concerned, too.  
  
"Hilda??!"  
  
She gasped for breaths.  
  
"Your father..."  
  
I paused. Her voice really reflected fear.  
  
"What happened to dad???!" I asked, impatient and near to tears.. then a thought approached me...  
  
"He's gravely ill, Elise... he.." she swallowed and I knew what was coming.  
  
"He's in the hospital.. he had.. a heart attack.." she said sobbing the last words out, but no tears escaping her eyes just yet.  
  
I shook my head. That was the sickest joke ever.. How DARE her..  
  
But she sobbed, wailing and crying and hardly managing to stand up on her own.  
  
I reached for her and had her lean on my shoulder.  
  
"Hilda..!"  
  
She kept sobbing and I joined in gasping for breaths..  
  
That dream...  
  
That nightmare...  
  
Oh no......  
  
-----------------------  
  
Chucko and the gang entered slowly, and taken away by the ghostly sights of an abandoned, underground basement of a large warehouse.  
  
The Deeds giggled and whispered jokes into each other's ears to pass the time of the long walk to their destination.. and to calm their nerves as well. Woof ran in zigzags and circled the other Jokerz, happily and frantically, slobbering on the ground while he was at it. Ghoul carried a mini-disc player and banged his head to the heavy metal music filling his brain as he walked.  
  
The long, lonely, cobweb covered corridor leading to a faint, but growing source of light emerged slowly.. What seemed minutes later the Jokerz came to a halt at the center shed of light in an overall dim-liten underground basement, modified alike a secret villanous hideout.. technology wired on every wall, clown decorated machines and furniture stood everywhere.   
  
The Deeds flipped over to a pile of beanbag chairs and shared one, sitting with their legs in the air as they leaned on each other's heads, tired but relaxed.  
  
Ghoul leaned on a far off wall, still bopping his head madly, his blonde locks of hair flying everywhere as Woof ran alongside Chucko.  
  
He pulled out the test tube holding Ely's hair and placed it gently on a desk, where a chalk-white hand drummed his fingers lightly on a laptop keyboard. The hand stopped typing and slowly brought it's long, slim, nerve-reaking fingers with black fingernail polish around the test tube. The hand raised it to the figure's face, as it inspected it, carefully, sinisterly, cunningly and accurately.  
  
A cold, wheezing hard laugh came from behind the desk chair, keeping the figure out of sight.   
  
"This is it.."  
  
Chucko and the others, listening, sighed with relief.  
  
"For years..."  
  
The desk chair spun around slightly and a green-haired, chalk white, black spandex coated sinister man of demon-red eyes and smile grinned playfully.  
  
"DADDY'S been wanting to see girl alllll grown up..."  
---------------------------------------------------  
O.O How's THAT for a comeback chapter! Great to be back at my post. Thanks, again, to all! L8er! 


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